Window display and advertising device.



NI1. 656,202. Patented Aug. 2|, I900. A. Y. MUOREFIELD. WINDDW DISPLAYAND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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' UNITED. STATES" P TENT OFFICE.

ARMISTEAD YOUNGER MOOREFIELD, OF WVACO, TEXAS.

WINDOW DISPLAY AND'ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,202, dated August21, 1900. Application filed December 29,1899. Serial No- 741,921. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ARMISTEAD YOUNGER MO0REFIELD,a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Window Display andAdvertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and use ful devices intended for thedisplay of advertisements and other subject-matter and as an attractionfor show-windows; and it consists of the parts and the constructions andcom binations of parts, which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a windowdisplay and advertising device constructed according to my invention.Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially broken away to show the motor.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail to be referred to.

Devices of peculiar shape or character or containing comical or otherfigures or unusual mechanical movements often serve as means forattracting the public to show-windows, and when such devices are capable.of displaying advertising matter the double purpose is served ofpleasing the public and advertising the dealers wares.

A device possessing the combined features alluded to is disclosed in theaccompanying drawings, and it includes a base or stand A of any suitableshape, the one herein shown having angular sides, which may serve as amedium for the display of show-cards, announcements, or otheradvertising matter. This base .incloses any well-known form of motor O,the one herein shown being in many respectssimilar to the usualspring-actuated clock-train mechanism. I do not, however, limit myselfto a spring-motor of this type and which I will presently specificallydescribe, as other forms of motors may be successfully used with themore essential parts of my invention.

- Supported upon the base orstand is a platform D, around the peripheryor outer edge of which are secured at intervals vertical posts E, theupper portions of which preferably include or have attached to themspherical or other ornaments a and miniature flags or emblems of anydesired type. Through the center of the platform rises a hollow post F,the lower end of which preferably screws into a seat formed in the frameof the motor beneath or is otherwise secured to some fixed part of thebase inline with the pinion-shaft b of the motor, said shaft having itsupper end extended and made square or otherwise and adapted to fit acorresponding socket I), made in the lower end of a vertical shaft 0,which after being thus rotatively locked to the said shaft extendsupwardly through the hollow post and to an appropriate distance abovethe platform D and has secured to it a horizontal rod or bar B, the longarm of which extends outwardly toward the posts, but terminates justshort of their inner sides, while the short arm of the said rod or barcarries or has fixed to it a figure G of some desired and attractive oramusing character. The shaft or rod 0 may be extended vertically abovethe bar or rod B and may be made to represent the handle of an openumbrella or other design, upon which is displayed advertising or othersub ject matter. The umbrella or design just mentioned may, however, beomitted and other means used for this display of adver tisements. Forinstance, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, a bar d may extendupwardly from the base of the device to a point above the bar B and thenbe bent over and provided with some form of light frame adapted toreceive cards, announcements, or other means for displaying advertisingsubject-matter.

The outer end of the rod or bar B has pivotally connected with it aloosely-swinging lever H, having a long arm e and a short arm or trip j,which latter projects outwardly toward the post E, while the long arm ehangs downwardly and is provided with an eye or opening g, a second eyeIt being preferably formed on the pivot of the lever, as shown in Figs.1 and 2.' Through the eyes g h a thread or cord'l is passed, one endbeing secured to the rod or bar B, or, as herein shown, to the upper endof the shaft 0, while the other or free end of the cord extendsdownwardly and is provided with a-weight m, as shown.

In operation, the motor being started, rotary motion is imparted to theshaft 0, and through this shaft the bar or rod B and the attachedfreely-suspended weight are carried around. 1he centrifugal actionthrows the weight m outward beyond the line of pins or posts, and thecord or thread striking the same suddenly checks the direction ofmovement of the weight and causes the latter to spin around the post,thereby winding the thread or cord upon the latter. When the power usedin thus winding the thread or cord is exhausted, the weight reverses itsmotion, thereby unwinding the thread or cord. In this unwinding thecentrifugal action imparted to the weight operates upon the long arm ofthe freely-suspended lever H, thereby drawing it inward and withdrawingthe trip or short arm f of the lever from its contact with the post,when the power of the motor is released and is exerted through the shaft0 to move the rod or arm 13 and its connection to the next post, theoperation of winding and unwinding this thread or cord on the postsbeing carried on with each successive post and at the conclusion of theshort rotary impulses which the arm F and its attachment receive afterbeing automatically released from each post. This winding and unwindingof the thread or cord, the release of the power at stated intervals, theperiodic movements of the figure on the bar B, and the shifting ofpositions of the advertising matter, plus the general attractiveness ofthe whole device, afford interest and amusement to the public and serveto attract the curious to the show-window which contains the device.

The motor herein shown includes the usual clockwork mechanism actuatedby the spring I, from which power is transmitted, through the train ofgearing J K L, to the pinion-shaft 0, upon which shaft is a wheel M,against which a stop or brake N is pressed by means of a rod 0, slidablymounted in the motorcase to start or stop the motor mechanism. Thespring being wound and the stop or brake released from the wheel M, thepower of said spring is transmitted through the train of gearing to theshaft 0, which being thus rotated gives motion to the horizontal arm orrod and produces the movements before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a window display and advertising device, the combination of avertical shaft and means for rotating the same, asubstantiallyhorizontal arm carried by the shaft, a lever freelysuspended from the outer end of the arm and having a member or tripprojecting beyond the end of the arm, a cord or thread connected withthe lever and having a weight at its lower end adapted to be thrownoutward by centrifugal force, and a series of stops or rods arranged inthe path of movement of the said lever member or trip and adapted to beengaged by the latter to suddenly check the movement of the horizontalarm whereby the cord or thread is caused to wind about the stop or rodand then unwind therefrom and automatically actuate the lever towithdraw the trip or member thereof from its contact with said stop orrod, and allow the power-shaft to again operate.

2. In a window display and advertising device, the combination with amotor, a rotat able shaft operatively connected therewith, and a frameor case, of a series of vertical rods or posts secured to said case, ahorizontal arm on the rotatable shaft, a pivoted lever on the outer endof the arm provided with long and short arms one of which liessubstantially in the path of the vertical rods and is designed to engagethe rods successively to check the motion of said horizontal arm, and acord or thread connected with the long arm of the lever and having aweight attached to its lower end said cord adapted to alternately windand unwind about said rods or posts by centrifugal action and to actuatethe lever to withdraw the short arm or trip at the completion of eachunwinding.

3. The combination of a vertical power shaft, a horizontal arm carriedthereby, an annular series of rods or posts, a cord, a weight freelysuspended therefrom and adapted to be thrown outward by centrifugalaction and caused to alternately wind and unwind about successive rodsor posts, and a lever freely suspended upon the outer end of thehorizontal arm and having ashort arm or trip and a guide for the saidcord, whereby the centrifugal action of the weight, in one movement,causes the lever to be actuated to project the short arm or trip thereofinto the path of the rods or posts while the centrifugal action, in areverse movement, automatically releases the trip from the post engagedthereby.

4. The combination with a vertical shaft and means for rotating thesame, of a horizontal arm secured at a point between its ends to theupper end of the shaft, a figure secured to the inner end of the arm anda lever freely suspended from the outer end of said arm, and providedwith eyes or guides and a forwardly-projecting short arm or trip, a cordsecured to the horizontal arm and passing through the eyes or guides ofthe lever, and having a weight suspended from its free end, and a standor case having an annular series of vertical rods or posts disposed inthe path of movement of the cord and about which the latter alternatelywinds and unwinds to check and release the power devices.

5. Awindowdisplayandadvertisingdevice including a base or stand adaptedto display subject-matter, an annular series of vertical ornamentalposts secured to said base, amotor contained within. the base, avertical power-shaft carrying a horizontal arm at its upper portion, afigure mounted on one end of the arm and a lever freely suspended fromIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set the outer end, a cord connectedwith the lemy hand in presence of two subscribing wit= ver and adaptedto Wind and unwind about nesses.

said posts, and having a weight operated by ARMISTEAD YOUNGERMOOREFIELD. centrifugal action to actuate the lever at the Witnesses:

completion of each unwinding action of the W. E. COLGIN,

cord and thereby release the power devices. J. T. CAMP.

